Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Day 23 - "...that all men are created equal..."

Soldier's National Monument, Gettysburg, PA
(Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address very near this spot)
Gettysburg Address Monument
(unique in that it commemorates the speech, not the man)

The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln stood at this site and reminded us that the United States was "conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." A century later, Martin Luther King, Jr. standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, reminded us that the job was not finished and told us of his dream that this promise would become reality.


"...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal...' "


We've come far in the ensuing years, but we still have a long way to go. What better tribute to Mr. King's legacy than for us to continue his efforts and "resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."


(The logistics of schlepping into DC for a really cool shot from the Lincoln Memorial steps were just too much to deal with and I wimped out. Traffic, parking nightmares, lugging around O2, etc., etc., plus it was flippin' cold out there had us opt for Gettysburg instead. Not as much of an impact, but certainly a connection to the MLK theme, and besides... it was closer.) ;)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really liked it. It tied the MLK theme perfectly, without having to heading off to DC.

Anonymous said...

This is awesome! Very clever to tie together those two speeches and men. They definitely both changed the world. :)

Desert Songbird said...

Marianne, I think the impact is clearly present. Visually, too. The monument set against the clear, blue sky is stark, and I'm deeply impressed that you captured the entire Gettysburg address so that it is legible.

lynette said...

Great shot! I envy the history that must be all around you. We have volcanoes :)